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RETROSPECT 

ADDIE (J/sVeNGLE 



It is at our oivn ivitl inihcther ivc sec in the stream the refuse of the 
street, or looking deep enough, the image of the sky. — Ruskin. 



1892. 






Copyrighted. 

MRS. ADDIE C. S. ENGLE, 

Indianapolis, Ind. 




Retrospect 



SAID: "My Barque the brightesl is 

Which sails the silver sea ; 
That sure so fair and brave a craft 

Can never stranded be." 
It held fond smiles, and blushes pure, 

From a guileless maiden heart. 
With white -robed Faith, and sinless Love, 

And not one pain or smart. 
1 gave to Faith her lighted torch, 

Which Love himself had trimmed ; 
Then to the care of its captain new 

My Barque gave, with eyes undimmed. 




SAT me down on the sunny slope 

And watched my Boat from sight, 
As freighted full with brightest hopes, 

It danced o'er waters light. 
1 prayed for wind and gentlest gale 

To waft it down the tide ; 
It held, ah me ! the love and joy 

Of a trusting, girlish bride. 
The stream grew wide, and wider yet, 

Strong wind and wave rose high. 
And dark -winged birds of evil note 

With shrill scream passed me by. 




HH night grew wild and black with storm, 

My pathway dim with tears ; 
Yet, while 1 kept my boat in view, 

My spirit laughed at fears. 
1 said : "If Faith but holds her torch, 

Love must the channel see ; 
And, safe from storm and tempest wild. 
My Boat xvill come to me." 
****** 

The morning broke with cold, gray mist ; 

Loud roared the foaming waves ; 
And from a barren, rocky strand 

1 watched their yawning graves. 




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HOPED, e'en then, to see my Boat — 
My winsome, bonny Barque. 
I heeded not the warning note 



J^,. " "'\/* From bird of omen dark, 

But strained mine eyes to catch afar 

One gleam of silver sail — 
One shining ray from Faith's bright torch 
'Neath clouds, and misty veil. 

1 said that the freight of my beautiful Boat 

Was my richest, tenderest joy. 
'Twas more ; 'twas the terrible weight of a soul 
Yet its master but deemed it a toy. 




when, far away on the broad waters dark, 

He caused Faith's love - ht torch to go out, 
Poor Love — blinded Love ! ran the vessel awreck. 

On the terrible quicksands of Doubt ! 
And so my fair Barque — my bright, beautiful Barque, 

Freighted full with my hopes of Life's bliss — 
Went down, with no hand to arrest or to save, 

To the fathomless, dreadful abyss. 
I said : " Can our God be asleep, or afar. 

That He sutlers this horror to be !" 
For ah ! the whole strand was aghast with lone wrecks 

By that treacherous, wild Summer sea. 




SAW a long- line of sad mourners, whose cries 
And mad wails rose above the hoarse gale, 
As each watched intently her own shattered wreck 
With wild features, set, ghastly, and pale. 
" But who is this army of sutTering ones ? 

And what can be their sorrow to mine ? " 
"They, too, staked their all on a frail human love. 

And their sorrow is crushing as thine." 
The voice which thus answered was rippling and sweet 

With soft tones, like a clear silver bell. 
It said to me : " List to my heaven - sent word, 
And the lesson it teaches, heed well. 




UCH wrecks as we view, and such dark ruins dread, 

Have been strewn on Life's treacherous main 
Since first woman loved, and since first man was false, 

And such storms will, 1 fear, break again. 
But thou, courage take, thy poor shattered Barque leave ; 

Let each raft and each sunk timber be ; 
Thou never can'st find pilot Faith's broken torch 

Underneath cold Distrust's gloomy sea. 
The captain would follow gay Passion's false light. 

And on him must the deep guilt remain. 
He never can sail that bright, fairy craft, 

Or e'en hope to build it again. 




OURAGE Ihen, my dear child, stand not murmuring here, 

Not although thou hast reason to mourn ; 
Let those rave insanely whose poor, empty hands 

Are uplifted to Heaven in scorn. 
But thou, even thou, hast a work yet to do, 

And go now, gird thee well for the task ; 
But first turn thy back on what has thus proved 

A most cruel and sorrowful Past. 
For thee ne'er again shall the full perfect love 

Which can cast far away every fear 
Thy Boat calmly guide to its fair haven sure, 

Through the tempests of Life cold and drear. 




UT make of the Christian's pure trust thy staunch Barque, 

Fill its sails with the heart's earnest prayer, 
Set Duty as helmsman, bid angel -browed Hope 

Stand aloft as the Pilot so fair ; 
And then, e'en above the deep grave you now mourn. 

That brave vessel serenely shall glide ; 
Her sails the most prosperous breezes shall till. 

Surely wafting her down the swift tide. 
And when she shall gain the bright, heavenly Port, 

It will not matter then aught to thee, 
That wrecked human Love, yea, wrecked human Faith, 

Once lay deep underneath thy Life's sea ! " 



AuirUSt 28, 1877. 




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